ANKARA (Sputnik) – On Friday, following a suicide bombing carried out by the Islamic State (ISIL) militant group and the reciprocal killings of two IS-affiliated police officers by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Turkey launched a two-front military campaign against both organizations.
According to Haberturk TV, bombs were dropped by eight Turkish F-16 fighter jets on PKK camps and weapon storage facilities near the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq. Ankara authorities stated that the Tuesday strikes were conducted on PKK positions as part of an anti-terrorist campaign.
The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by Ankara, was established in the late 1970s to fight for the self-determination of the Kurdish community comprising some 25 percent of Turkey's population.
On Saturday, the PKK said that Ankara "unilaterally terminated" the two-year ceasefire by carrying out airstrikes on the group’s positions on Friday. Turkey considers the killing of the police officers to be the initial breach of the ceasefire.
